Means for collecting filled match boxes



July 11 1933- N. A. LAGERHOLM 1,917,986

MEANS FOR COLLECTING FILLED MATCH BOXES Filed Jan. 1'?, 195o 2 sheets-shea 1 July 11, 1933. N. A. LAGERHOLM A Ems FR COLLECTING FILLED HATCH BOXES Fiied Jan. 17. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented JulyV 11, 1933 'N'Ins' AXEL LAGERHOLM,

or .ioivnoeina svvnnniv viviiznivs ron coni-Ecrins ninna-ifi MATCH noXEs f Application ledr'aiiuary 17, 1930, Serial N'o. 421,519, and in Sweden February 11, 1929.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of matches and more particularly to means for collecting the match-boxes after hey have been filled with matches and the i drawers have been introduced into the shells. This collecting operation which is'l effected with a view to further conveying the boxes to the next machine, as, for ins'fance a box painting machine, is usually carried out so l0 that the boxes after .having been Vdischarged from the filling machine are moved in a continuous -iow one after the other with the 'matches lying at right angles to the direction'of inovenientand allwith their heads directed to the same side.- After a predetermined number of boxes have been Vmoved to thecollecting device inthis Way said boxes ivill be pushed to th'eside by a piston and turned over on their edge upon a table, frame Vor the like situa-ted ata loifve'r level so that the boxes Will `comete stand upon said table, frame or the like in `rows and all with their heads facing to the' same direction, usually (w downwards. This method ofcollecting the "3 matches;` lio'ivever, cause's'certain -diiculties as tothe subsequent operations owing to the s'tvelling of the shells at one end thereof as caused by the heads 'of the matches. In piling the matches With the said ends facing i each other, as iforpainting, spaces will be left free between the individual boxes into which the friction surface mass may run down.r In packing boxes arranged in this Way the packets do not obtain a regular shape. A n

rIhis invention has for its object to overcome said dinieulties. To this end, the device to collect the. rows of boxes is provided n with means to turn every second rovv 'of w boxes so that Vthe heads-of eachltivo successive boxes Will face to opposite directions.

In the accompanying drawings several embodiments 'of the invention are illustrated in a diagrammatic manner.

Fig. l is a front vieuT hfi'd Fig. 2 i'sa top lplan View of a collecting device according to one embodiment.'

Figs; -3 to 5 are side elevations of the saine collecting device iii tli'ii'e'edifferent Working positions. Y

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of .a collecting device according to a second embodiment of the invention. Y

v Fig. 7 is a side 'elevation of the samev collecting device.i y A I v Figs. Sto l0 are diagrammatic views to illustrate the operation of three further embodinients ofthe invention.

With reference to F igs. l to 55 thenumeral l indicates a path, upon which the filled and vclosed boxes are adapted tobe moved in a krow oneafter the other inthe direction indica-ted lby the .arrow a in Fig. 2. In this movementthe .boxes are turnedtothe same side with the mat-ches lying at right angles to the direction of movement. Provided at a suitable point of the path l is a piston 2 Which may reciprocate transversally over the i Y pathto passthe boxesfroni the vpath l over o n to, a turning plate 3 provided on the one 7G side of the Apath Which is pivoted in tWo l'evers 4, 5 Which'are both secured toa shaft 6 extending parallel to the path 1. The lever 4 extends beyondthe shaft 6 and itsextension is held in engagement With aY cam 7 7 by means of a spring action on the lever` 4Q Said cam 7 is drivenfrom a main Vshaft 8 through the intermedium 'of an endlesschain Yor the like. The piston 2 may also be driven from said main shaft 8 through means, notBO shown. Keyedito theshaft of the turning plate is a toothed Wheel 9 meshing in a nonrotary toothed segment 10. Provided beneath the turning plate-is a table 1l. Leading fromthe path l to said last mentioned 85 table is an inclined surface 20; Provided `immediately above the table -ll is a reciprocating piston12 movableV parallel with the piston 2 which. may be alsov driven from the main shaft 8 and the purpose of which' Will 0 appear 'from the description of the'operation of the device as hereinafter set'forth. l

After` a roW gofboxes has reached a position in front-of the retracted piston 2 said row in the forward stroke of the lpiston'2 Will g be passed over on to the turning plate 3 Which is just in the position shown in Fig. Y 3, tliatis; on a level With the path l. After the turning plate 3 hasreceived a rowv of matches in the described Way thek levers 4, 5

with the turning plate will be moved to the right in Fig. 3 due to the action of the cam 7. Due to its meshing in the toothed segment 10 the turning plate 3 will now turn in counter clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 3, and when the turning plate reaches the position shown in Fig. 4 -or an adjacent position, the boxes will slide down from the turning plate and come to stand on their edge upon the table 11. Then the piston 12 will operate to push the row of box-es forward close up to the rows of boxes previously collected on the table which are indicated by 4dotted lines. The turning plate will continue its rotation until reaching the final position, shown in Fig. 5, in which it will be maintained 4by the circular portion of the cam during a certain part of the continued rotationV of the cam. IVith the turning plate in this position the piston 2 is again moved forwards to feed a further row of boxes to the side, causing it to slide down directly on to the table 11 along the inclined surface 20 Without being turned or stopped by the turning plate 3, the piston 12 then pushing this row of boxes up onto the preceding row. After the piston-2 has then gone back again and is ready to feed the next row of boxes to theside, the concave portion of the cam has come into engagement with the extension of the lever 4,-allowing its spring to restore the levers 4, 5 with the turning plate to the position shown in Fig. 3. ,The next row of boxes is, as a result, received by the turning plate and turned. In this way every second row of boxes will come to lie with the heads of the respective matches facing to one direc-tion, as downwards, wherethe matches of the remaining boxes have their heads facing to the oppositedirection, as upwards.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a device similar to that above described is shown, yet with the dierence that the turning plate 3 with its toothed wheel is mounted in the frame of the machine, whereas the lever 4 controlled by the V`cam 7 carries a toothed segment 13 the oscillation of which rotates the toothed wheel 9 and thus also the turning pla-te 3 in such a way asto cause every second row of boxes, as discharged from the path 1, to be received by the plate and turned, While allowing the remaining rows of boxes to turn over directly down upon the table 11.` Like references are used as in Fig. 1, so that the figures may be understood without any special description.

rllhe turning device shown in Fig. 8 is shaped asarotatably mounted cylinder 21 having a through extending space 22 to re- I'ceive the boxes. Said space will receive every row of boxes, as discharged from the .path 1 by means of the piston 2, but will be l caused to perform half a revolution for every second row only. It is thus seen that every second ro`w of boxesvwill pass directly through the space 22 and will slide without turning along the inclined surface 23 down upon the table 11, whereas the other rows are turned before reaching lthe table 11.

, A similar turning device is shown in Fig. 9 where, likewise, every row of boxes is passed into a through extending opening 24 formed in a rotary cylinder 25. In this case, however, the cylinder is rotated 90 from the normal position shown alternately to the right and to the left, thereby securing positive guiding of the boxes when discharged in vertical position. By means of a vertically reciprocating piston 26 a simultaneous discharge of the boxes rmay be obtained. In such case, however, the walls of the opening 24 should, preferably, be provided with resilient means to retain the boxes in the discharging position.

.A turning device of very simple design is shown in Fig. 10. Attached to a freely rotatable shaft 14 are the plates 15 extending radially and axially and forming anl angle of 120?J `,vcfithcach other...v Byv means of a ratchet wheel 16 and a pawl17 connected to the piston 2 said plates are turned 60 every time the piston 2 `has moved forward to discharge a row of boxes and then returned.: In the position shown onefof the plates has received the boxes, but, after Vthe return movement of the piston 2 is completed, the turning device will be in the position shown by dotted lines. The row of boxes will in such case be turned down the inclined surface 18 so that it will come torstand `oiiits` edge upon the table 11'. Upon the next discharging operation saidplate together with the inclined' surface 18 will constitute a guide channel for the boxes now dropping directly from` the path; 1 which will, as a result, be directed to the opposite side to that of the boxes of the rownext preceding. .For the sake` of clearness, the design of the mechanisni has not been illustrated in detail, as the details may be varied in different ways as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

It is to be noted that it is of no importance, as far' as the invention is concerned, whether the boxes after they have left the turning device are collected while standing on their edge or lying upon each other. Thus, for

instance, in the said last mentioned case they may collect upon a vertical or inclined frame which islowered a distance corresponding to the height of a box after each receipt of one row of boxes.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for collecting filled match boxes in which the boxes are fed in a continuous string while resting on one of their flat sides, the combination of means to support said string of boxes, means to discharge successive series ofboxes from said string and displace them transversely, a table situated at a lower level .than said supporting ie Y LeiZeiSe means and po'sitionedfso to receive said series of boxes as parallel rows, and means to tiirn every second series of boxes when delivered to the table ninety degrees in one 5 direction and the remaining series of boxes 5,successive series of boxes from said string ant` displace them transversely, a table to receive said displacedseries of boxes as parallel rows, said table being situated at a lower level than Vsaid lsupporting means, stationary 0 means to guide the series of boxes when discharged so as to cause them to turn ninety degrees in a given direction before being delivered to the table so that the boxesV will rest on the table on one `of their edge sides, and a rotatable turning means to receive a seiies of boxes at a time from said supporting Vmeans, turn it ninety degrees in the oppositel direction to that in which the boxes are turned when delivered directly from the sup- Joi'tin means to the stationar Guiding D C 21 means and deliver the seriesof boxes thus turned to said stationary guiding means.

3. In a device for collecting filled match boxes in which the boxes are fed in a continu- "5 ous string while resting on one of their flat sides, the combination of means to support said string of boxes, means to discharge successive series of boxes from said string` and dis lace rthem transversely, a table to receive said) displaced series of boxes as parallel rows, said table being situated at a lower level than said supporting means, stationary means toguide the series of boxes whendis- 4charged so as to cause them to turn ninety degrees in a given direction before being delivered tothe table so that the boxes will rest on the table on one of their edge sides, and rotatable turning means to receive a series of boxes at a time from said supporting means,

'0 turn it ninety degrees in lthe opposite direction to that in which the boxes 'are turned when delivered directly from the supporting means vto the stationary guiding means and deliver the series lof boxes thus turned to'said stationary guiding means, said rotatable turning means comprising a rotary shaft, a number of plates on said shaft to actin succession to receive series of match boxes, and means to rotate said shaft atan angle corresponding to half the angular distance between the plates for each series of boxes discharged.

4. In a device for collecting filled match boxes in which the boxes are fed in a contin- @5 uous string while resting on one of their flat directions.`

sides, the `"cknnbination, of means to support said string of boxes, means to discharge suc-` cessive series of boxes from said string and displace them transversely, a table toreceive said series of boxes as'prarallel rows, rsaid table being situated at a lower level than said supporting means, stationary means to guide the yseries of boxes when vdischarged so as to cause them toturnin a given `direction ninety degree'sinorder to allow them to be collected on the table while resting on one vof their edge` sides, a rotatable turning'means to receive 'every seriesV "of boxes discharged from said supporting means, and means to cause the turning means to. turn every second series of boxes ninety degrees in one directionand then 'deliver them to the guiding means and turn the remaining'series of boxes ninety detliem to the guiding means.

grees inthe oppositedirection and deliverv 5. In a device for collecting Ifilled matchl boxes in Vwhich the boxes are lfed as a continuous string and all arranged with the heads of their matches turned to the same Adi-V rection, the combination of means to sup` port said string of boxes, a collecting table situated at a lower level than said supporting means, means to discharge successive series of boxes transversely from said supporting means towards said collecting table'v so as Vto cause themto collect thereon as parallel rows, and lcooperating stationary and rotatable means to turn alternate seriesof boxes,when discharged, in opposite directions and after turning them deliver them to the collecting table, so that alternate rows of boxes as collected upon said table will have the heads of the matches turned to opposite 6. `A device for feeding successive rowsof .match boxes and turning alternate rows, said device comprising an upper shelf, a lower shelf extending beyond theend of the upper shelf, a stationary guide-way extending from the end of the upper shelf'towards the lower shelf, a rotatable member adjacent said guide-way, means for forcing rows of lboxes onto the rotatable member, means for rotating said rotatable member partially for reversing the boxes and delivering them to the guide-way, and means for maintaining said rotatable member out of the pathof the next succeeding row of boxes forced from iio the end ofthe upper shelf so as to allow said 'I rows to engage the guide-way without being reversed, and means cooperating with the rows of boxes deposited on the lower shelf for forcing the saine away `from positions below the end ofthe upper shelf.

7. A device for feeding rowsfof boxes and reversing the ends of alternate rows, said device comprising an upper shelf onto which all of said rows of boxes are/fed, means for moving the rows of boxes transversely on the shelf and forcing them from theV end thereieee l alternate box rows and delivering the same to thesta'tionary guideway while allowing the succeeding row to be delivered directly to the guide-way to be placed upon the lower shelf without having been reversed.

8. In a device for collecting filled match boxes, in which the boxes are fed'in successive rows while `resting on one of their fiat sides, the combination of means to support said rows of boxes, a collecting table situated at a lower-.level than said supporting means, stationary means for guiding the rows of boxes to said collecting table, and rotatable means cooperating withV said stationary means to turn alternate rows of boxes in an opposite direction to the other rows and after 'turning them deliver them to the collecting table, so that alternate series of boxes as collected upon said table will have the heads of the matches turned to opposite directions'. i

9. ln a device for collecting filled match boxes in which the boxes are fed in a continuous string while resting on one of their flat sidespthe combination of means to support said string vof boxes, means to discharge successive series of boxes from said string and displace them transversely, a table to receive said series of boxes as parallel rows, said table being situated at a lower level than said supporting means, stationary means to guide the series of boxes when discharged so as to cause them to be collected on the table while resting ony one of their edge sides, a rotatable turning means to receiveevery series of boxes discharged from said supporting means, and means to cause the turning means to turn every second scri-es of boxes ninety degrees in one direction and then deliver them to the guiding means and 'turn vthe remaining series of boxes ninety degrees in the opposite direction and deliver them to theguiding means.

l0. A device for feeding rows of boxes and reversing the ends of alternate rows, said device comprising an upp r shelf onto which all of said rows of boxes are fed, means for moving the rows of boxes transversely on the shelf and forcing them from the end thereof, y a lower shelf extending beyond the end of the upper shelf, a rotatable member journalled adjacent the end of the upper shelf and adaptopposite directions.

said displaced series of boxes as parallel rows,

means for transferring the box'rows'to said table while turning them ninety degrees so that theV boxes will rest on the table on one of t ieir edge sides, a rotatabln member Jourvnailed adjacent the end of said'supporting means and adapted to receive one row of boxes at a time therefrom, and means for rotating said rotatable member for reversing alternatev box rows while allowing the sucv-V' Y 1' eeeding row to be` delivered to the transferring means without having been reversed.

l2, A device for feeding rows of boxes and reversing the ends of alternate rows, saidV device comprising an upper shelf, transversely on which all of said rows of'boxes are fed, a lower shelf extending beyond the end of the vupper shelf, a rotatable member acent theupper shelf tol receive one row of boxes at a time and reverse it, and means for feedingalternate rows of boxes to said turning member 'while delivering the succeeding row 'directlvto the lower shelf, so that alter-l nate rows of boxes as collected upon said shelf will have the heads of the matches turned to opposite directions.

18. A device for feeding rows of boxes and reversing the ends of alternate rows, saiddevice comprising a supporting surface, transversely on which all of'said rows of boxes are fed, a collecting table, means for transferring the box rows to said table while turning them ninety degrees so that the boxes will rest on the table on one of their edge sides, a rotatable member adjacent the supporting surface to receive one row of boxes at a time and rcverse the same, and means for feeding alternate rows of boxes to said turning member while delivering the succeeding row directly y to the transferring means, so that alternate rows of boxes as collected. upon the table will have the heads of the matches turned to In testimony whereofvr I have signed my name.

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